A dystopian film

Rating: 8/10 (31 October 2006)

Let's start off with stating that this is good, entertaining film if you like an action movie. Although the film commences quite gentle, you'll soon be finding yourself riding rough, action packed, terrain.
But action isn't all that this movie has to offer. The story is set in the nearby future and brings up an interesting matter; the ethics of cloning, which is becoming a very hot topic in our own current society. Especially in the first part we learn more about the controlled society of the clones, which are referred to as ''agnates''. The way they are 'grown' and brought up shows quite a few similarities with the people in the book Brave New World (i.e. indoctrinating/learning in one's sleep)although in The Island cloning doesn't affect the whole society, like in Brave New World.
The story revolves around two characters, i.e. Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), although Scarlett Johansson doesn't have that many lines. Also the fact that we don't get to meet Jordan Two Delta's 'sponsor' (the cloned person) made me think more of Scarlett as 'the sidekick'. The 'sponsor' of Lincoln Six Echo, who we do get to meet, isn't like the 'agnate' at all, which I find not that plausible. On top of that, the encounter between one another, or shall we say, the showdown, is a bit corny (''I am Tom Lincoln! - No I am!'').
Another issue where the movie lacks in plausibility, is the merge of technology in the nearby future and the basic skills of the agnates. An example; we see a train system which allows trains to float above the ground (so no wheels), where the most spectacular scene in the movie involves train wheels?! The agnates also seem to be super intelligent where they figure out the mechanism of a gun and how to fool another human being in just a few minutes whereas, in the controlled society they are not taught to be violent or deceitful. The part about violence isn't exactly true; it is said in the movie that they don't know violence but they are allowed to play a sort of fighting game (another flaw in the movie?) played on a next generation X-box.
This brings me to my final point of criticism; product placement. Some don't find it annoying, well... I do.
Althoug you may find this review a bit negative, I find it a great film, which leaves only a few question marks behind for the critical viewer. It's simply a good movie with some ethics and scepticism on cloning, a lot of action, and a (although a bit quiet) beautiful female protagonist. I highly recommend it and therefore I awarded The Island with an 8.